If you are not the one

“Hello?”, I answered sleepily when my cell phone rang.

I saw it was half past ten when I looked on my watch, and rubbed my eyes in an attempt to wake up a bit more.

“Hey gorgeous. It’s Gee.”, I heard his beautiful voice say.

“Oh, hey baby.”, I mumbled, stifling a yawn.

“Did I wake you?”, he asked.

“Yeah, but it doesn’t matter.”, I replied.

“Great. What did you do the rest of the day?”, Gerard asked, and I could hear the smile in his voice.

“I slept. You?”

“I finished my art homework and thought about you.”, he said, and I thought I detected a hint of longing.

“What did you think about?”, I asked him with a smile.

“About kissing you, and holding you close. Can you believe I had an image of you in a beautiful white dress walking towards me where I stood at the altar? You looked amazing.”

“Really? So, are you planning on marrying me, then?”, I asked shyly.

“Of course, as soon as you’re finished with school and we’re ready.”, he said seriously.

“I love you baby.”, I whispered happily.

“I love you too, sugar. I should let you get some more sleep. Maybe we’ll do something tomorrow. I’ll call you and then we can make plans. Maybe we should tell Kev that we’re together before he finds out from someone else. Good night, love.”, Gerard said.

“Okay. Bye then.”, I said, and hung up.

I put my phone back on my bedside table and rolled onto my side, falling asleep with a smile on my face.

“Honey?”, my mom called through my door the next morning.

I groaned, pulling the covers over my head. I heard my door open, and the curtains being pulled open. The sunlight streaming in blinded me through the covers.

“Honey, a friend is here to see you. He said his name is Gerard.”, my mom said with a slight chuckle.

“What?!”, I yelled, throwing the covers off.

The covers tangled around my feet when I tried to jump up, and I crashed to the floor.

“Are you all right, sweetheart?”, my mom asked worriedly.

“Yeah, yeah. How long has he been here?”, I asked, untangling my feet.

“He arrived just a few minutes ago. Said he called you, but you didn’t answer. I never got to ask you, but how was the party?”, she asked, sitting down on my bed while I opened my closet doors.

“It was great. Gerard dumped Lynn-Z, and I think we’re a couple now, but I’m not really sure. Anyway, he kissed me and told me that he had always loved me, but didn’t realize it.”, I said while I pulled on my black skinny jeans and black T-shirt.

“That’s great honey. But what about Lynn-Z? Weren’t you two friends or something?’

“Yeah we were, but I think they were going to break up anyway, because she was a transfer student. Her parents were still deciding on whether or not they wanted to move here permanently, and they decided not to, which is good, otherwise Gee and I would probably never have gotten together.”, I said.

“That’s probably true. I’ll go tell Gerard that you’re almost ready.”, she said as she stood up.

“Thanks mom.”, I said, walking to my vanity mirror.

I put on my eyeliner and a smack of lip gloss, brushed my hair, slipped on my black sneakers that he loved so much, and bounded down the stairs. When I saw him standing at the foot of the stairs, my face broke out in a big smile. He opened his arms and I jumped into them.

“Hey sugar.”, Gerard said softly.

“Hey.”, I said, kissing him.

He let go of me, and took my hand, lacing our fingers together. I led him into the kitchen where my mom was busy baking waffles. Kevin looked up when we entered the kitchen, and I saw his eyes narrow dangerously when he saw our fingers laced together.

“Would you like some coffee?”, I asked him, ignoring Kevin’s murderous look.

“Thanks.”, Gerard said, sitting down at the kitchen table.

I poured coffee into two mugs, handing one to him when I sat down on the chair next to him. I sipped my coffee quietly while Gerard played with my fingers with his free hand. We just kept looking at each other, oblivious to our surroundings. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, and took it out. I sighed when I saw the caller I.D. It was Kyle. I pressed the red button, turned off my phone and put it back in my pocket.

“Who was that?”, Gee whispered in my ear, his breath tickling my skin.

“Kyle.”, I said softly, and heard his teeth snap together.

“So, how long have you two been dating?”, Kevin asked.

“Not long, since last night.”, Gerard answered.

“Ah. So, Gee, have you started studying for your finals yet?”, he asked, thankfully changing the subject.

“Nah, I’m not really that into studying. I usually leave it to the night before. And you? Are you understanding the Calculus we’re doing now?”, Gerard asked.

“Yep. And no, not really. Its kinda tough.”, Kevin replied.

My mom placed a plate of steaming waffles in front of each of us. Gerard and Kevin continued talking about their subjects while we ate. My mom was reading the paper, and I was just staring into space, pushing the waffle around in my plate.

After breakfast I helped my mom clear the table and wash the dishes while Gerard and Kevin made plans for a pool party the next night. Mom went into the laundry room to finish washing and ironing the clothes. I hopped onto the counter, listening to their planning. I was bored out of my skull, and sighed every few minutes.

“Are we boring you?”, Kevin asked with a smirk.

“Hell, yeah.”, I muttered, sticking out my tongue.

“Don’t worry, we’re done. Hey, why don’t you call Alecia, the girls can go with us to the mall to get decorations and stuff.”, Gerard suggested.

“Great idea. I’ll go call her.”, Kevin said and walked out of the kitchen.

“Finally.”, I sighed.

Gerard chuckled, coming to stand in front of me. We stared into each other’s eyes, electricity crackling in the air between us. I felt the sparks even before his lips touched mine, my hands tangled in his hair, pulling his head closer as he deepened the kiss. He put his hands beneath my shirt, caressing my back and leaving trails of fire behind them.

“Ahem.”

Gerard pulled away quickly, both our cheeks flushed. Kyle stood in the doorway of the kitchen with a big smirk on his face. Gerard turned and picked me up off of the counter, his hands lingering on my hips.

“Are you guys ready to go, or what?”, Kevin asked impatiently.

“We’ll meet you there, Kev.”, Gerard said without taking his eyes off me.

“Whatever.”, he said, turning and walking out of the kitchen.

“We should probably go.”, I said after a while, shifting nervously.

“Okay.”, he said, and laced his fingers through mine, pulling me along behind him.

We got in the car, and he took my hand again as we drove to the mall. The silence in the car was comfortable. I leaned my head back against the headpiece and closed my eyes, breathing the scent of cigarettes and paint in. It smelled just like Gerard, and I loved it.

“Come sugar, we’re here.”, Gerard said, shaking me slightly.

I opened my eyes, smiling at him before getting out. His arm went around my shoulders while mine went around his waist, and we walked like that into the mall. Kevin and Alecia were already standing in front of the Party Place, Kevin tapping his foot impatiently, and Alecia standing there with a smile on her face.

“Hey guys. I didn’t know you were together.”, Alecia said when we reached them.

“We got together on Friday, at Amber’s party.”, Gerard explained, his hand squeezing my shoulder.

“Oh, yeah I heard about that party. Is it true that you were almost, you know, with a college guy?”, Alecia asked, her eyes wide.

Kevin had started walking into the shop, but when Alecia asked that, he stiffened visibly, and he turned around slowly, a muscle in his jaw jumping. That was always a bad sign that he was about to murder someone. That someone being me, obviously.

“No Alecia, it’s not true.”, I said forcefully, feeling the blood drain out of my face.

“Oh, sorry then. But girl, I can tell you, you’re gonna have rumors galore at school on Monday.”, she said, her voice filled with sympathy.

“Oh, this is just great.”, I muttered.

“Don’t worry, babe. Soon enough there will be other rumors more interesting than that.”, Gerard said, pulling me into the shop.

We shopped for decorations, drinks and food for a few hours, and all the time I could feel Kevin’s eyes burning into my back. I just hoped he wouldn’t explode to badly, I didn’t want an episode of the last time to repeat again. He had gotten so angry that he had hit me. He couldn’t stop apologizing afterwards.

“Well, I’m gonna take her home. She’s dead on her feet.”, Gerard said, holding me tightly.

“Okay, Gee. See you tomorrow.”, Alecia said with a wave.

Gerard half-carried me to his car, buckling me up. He walked quickly to the driver’s side and got in, pulling my head down so that it was resting on his shoulder. My eyes were drooping, but I didn’t want to go to sleep. I wanted to remember every moment with him, and I couldn’t very well do that while I was sleeping.

“I love the way you smell.”, I mumbled, stifling a yawn behind my hand.

“Did you know how sexy you look when you’re sleepy? I can just kiss you up, sugar.”, Gerard said, leaning down to kiss the top of my head when he stopped at the red robot light.

“I wouldn’t mind if you did.”, I said with a giggle.

“You’re going to regret giving me permission. Now I’m not going to stop kissing you ever again.”, he said threateningly.

“Like I said, I wouldn’t mind. I could go on kissing you forever.”, I admitted, blushing beet red.

“Really?”, he asked, and I nodded, “You’re so adorable, sugar.”, he said.

I laughed embarrassedly, and started playing with his fingers, looking out the window. We were silent for the rest of the ride, just holding hands. I was staring at him again, a smile playing on my lips.
“Gee, can’t we go to the beach? I don’t want to go home now.”, I pleaded.

“Sure sugar, but aren’t you tired?”, he asked, turning on to the highway to the beach.

“Not anymore.”, I replied, eagerly watching out for the first view of the sea.

We reached the beach in ten minutes, and as soon as Gerard had pulled into a parking space, I was out of the car, waiting impatiently for him on the sidewalk. He was laughing as he walked towards me, and pulled me into a hug, kissing me fiercely.

“Come.”, Gerard said after he pulled away, and tugged me to where the sand started.

“Hey, isn’t that Mikey?”, I asked suddenly, pointing to a guy that looked like him.

“Yeah, it is.”, he said, and we ran to where he and the other guys with their girlfriends were sitting.

“Hey guys!”, Mikey said when we reached them, jumping up and giving me a hug.

“Kevin is having a pool party tomorrow night, and he invited all of us, and practically the whole senior class.”, Gerard said after we had greeted everyone.

“Cool. I just love parties.”, Chelsea said excitedly.

“And I love you.”, Mikey said, leaning in to kiss her.

The other guys cheered like idiots, and both Chelsea and Mikey were blushing furiously when they pulled away from each other. I stood up and walked to the edge of the water, gazing at the colors in the sky as the sun set. I felt Gerard’s arms circle my waist, and leaned my head back against his chest, his chin resting on my shoulder.

“It’s so beautiful.”, I sighed softly.

“Just like you.”, he whispered, kissing my neck.

“Do you know how much I love you? I’ve loved you since the first time I saw you. You were like my hero, but later it grew into something more than just hero-worship.”, I said quietly.

“You’ve always just been my little brother’s best friend, like a sister to me. But when I found out about you and Kyle, the jealousy just seemed to start boiling up in me. It felt as if I could rip his head off. Especially when I saw him on top of you like that, Friday. I didn’t realize until then that I’ve actually loved you the whole time we’ve known each other.”, he said, turning me around so that I was facing him.

“Do you think we’ll always be together?”, I asked, looking down.

“Shell, I know we’ll always be together.”, Gerard said, lifting my head gently so that he could look into my eyes.

“How can you be so sure?”, I asked as I stared into his beautiful eyes.

They looked gold in the sun, and his hair had a reddish shine to it as well. I couldn’t take my eyes off of him.

“Because I love you. And I want to be with you forever.”, he said simply.

My eyes filled with tears of happiness, and I crushed my lips to his, pulling him as close as I could. I never wanted to let go. I couldn’t believe that Gerard actually loved me, and wanted to be with me. Me! The plain Shell, who always came second-best next to Amber. Gerard could get any girl in the school, yet he chose me.

“I love you too.”, I said when I pulled away.

“I’ll take you home, sugar.”, he said with a smile, lacing his fingers through mine.

We greeted our friends and walked back to his car. I turned back to watch the sun finally set, making the water sparkle like sapphires where the fading light touched it. With a big smile I got into the car, leaning my head on Gerard’s shoulder. We were quiet on the drive, just soft music coming out of the radio. When we reached my house, I saw my dad’s car in the drive way, and jumped out excitedly when Gerard came to a stop.

“Gee, come meet my dad.”, I said, grabbing his hand and pulling him quickly up the porch steps.

“Is that you, hon?”, my mom called from the kitchen, and I hurried to the kitchen, tugging Gerard along behind me.

“Dad!”, I cried out, throwing myself into his arms.

“Hello princess.”, my dad said, hugging me tightly.

“I want you to meet a very special friend of mine. Dad, this is Gerard, but everyone calls him Gee. Gee, this is my dad.”, I said, proudly introducing my first boyfriend.

“It’s nice to meet you, son.”, he said, shaking Gerard’s hand.

“Nice to meet you too, sir.”, Gerard said, blushing faintly.
“Well, I should probably be getting home, my parents are going to wonder where I am. Bye Mr. and Mrs. Martins.”, Gerard said after a few minutes.

“Goodbye. See you tomorrow night.”, my mom said while my dad shook Gerard’s hand again.

“I’ll walk you to your car.”, I said, taking his hand.

“Babe, I won’t be able to visit the rest of the week, except for tomorrow night’s party. I have to finish my paintings for the expo next week.”, he said when we reached his car.

“It’s okay. We’ll see each other at school.”

“You’re an amazing girlfriend, do you know that? All the other ones had always nagged at me, saying that I cared more about my art than about them. Which was true, but only with a few. I can totally see myself marrying you someday.”, he said, pulling me in for a kiss.

“Gee, thanks.”, I said sarcastically, which made him spank me playfully.

“I’m serious. Now shut up so I can kiss you.”, he said, and crashed his mouth onto mine before I could say another word.

My hands tangled in his soft locks, pulling his head closer, deepening the kiss. I moaned as his hands left trails of fire all over my back. He put his hands beneath my shirt and caressed the skin of my hips, pulling my body closer to his. He pulled away, panting slightly, and leaned his forehead against mine, staring into my eyes.

“I should go before I can’t stop. I need a cold shower.”, he whispered, his hot breath blowing in my face.

“Okay.”, I whispered, and pressed my lips softly against his before he got into his car.

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning at our lockers. Love you, sugar!”, he called through his open window.

“Love you too!”, I called, waving until he disappeared.

I walked slowly back up the steps, a dreamy smile on my face. I heard Kevin’s car turn in on the drive way, and quickly walked to the kitchen where my parents were still sitting, drinking yet another cup of coffee. I knew Kevin wouldn’t dare take me on with my parents in the same room, so I was safe. For now.

“So, your mom tells me that you and this Gerard guy are dating.”, my dad said with a smile.

“Yeah, since Friday night.”, I said happily.

“I can’t believe our baby girl has grown up so quickly.”, my mom said with a sad smile.

“Mom, I’m not a baby.”, I said, rolling my eyes playfully.

“You’ll always be our baby girl, Shelley.”, my dad said, ruffling my hair.

“Dad! Don’t touch the hair!”, I exclaimed, smacking his hand away.

“Well, it looks weird anyway.”, Kevin said nastily from the doorway.

“Hello son.”, my dad greeted him from the table.

“Hey dad. What’s for dinner mom?”, he asked, walking into the kitchen.

“You two can fend for yourselves tonight, your mother and I are going out.”, dad replied.

“And we should probably get going if we still want to find a table.”, my mom said, standing up.

My dad followed her example, and they walked to his car after saying goodbye. I jumped up, ready to bolt from the room, but Kevin grabbed my arm, pulling me back down in the chair.

“Just a moment. What the HELL do you think you were doing, getting drunk with a college guy and making out at the side of Amber’s house?!”, Kevin yelled.

“It’s none of your business, Kevin.”, I snapped.

“It is bloody well my business. What if he had raped you? You’re so irresponsible. Why can’t you think for yourself for just once?”, he demanded.

“I can think for myself, but you keep bloody smothering me! I will date a college guy and get drunk if I want, and there’s nothing you can do about it!”, I yelled, anger boiling in my stomach.

I saw him lift his hand, balled into a fist. His eyes were completely blank, and I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the impact. The blow sent me falling to the ground, and I could already feel my eye swelling. How the hell was I going to explain this? I stood up shakily, watching him warily. His eyes were still blank, but he had sat down again. It was the same as last time. Whenever he got to angry, something in his mind would just snap, making his eyes go blank, and he wouldn’t know what he was doing. No one else knew about this except me.

I felt something wet on my cheek, and wiped it away. It was blood. I walked quickly to my room, closing and locking the door behind me. I went into my bathroom to inspect my face. There was a cut below my eye, dripping blood, and my eye was already turning shades of blue and purple. I washed my face carefully, trying not to press to hard against my eye. It was throbbing horribly, and the tears spilled over. I got into the shower, adjusting the temperature so that it was scorching hot, and stood under it until all the hot water had run out. I dressed in my favorite black pajamas, and set the alarm on my phone. I was going to have to get up very early tomorrow to try and hide the bruise with concealer. I crawled into bed, pulling the covers high up over my head, and fell asleep.